Metallic sheeting and locking bar



J. R. WEBB AND H. GJG. BLAKEMORE.

METALLIC SHEETING AND LOCKING BAR APPLICATION FllED APR. 4. 192 2.

,4 1, 7 Patentd 0ct.10,1922-.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

lllTED STATES PATENT OFFKQEQ JOHN RAGKER WEBB AND HENRY GEORGE GRANVILLE BLAKEMORE, OF. LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO RANSOME MACHINERY COMPANY (1920) LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, A CORPORATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

METALLIC SHEETING AND LOCKING BAR.

Application filed April 4, 1922. Serial No. 549,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we JOHN RAcKnR IVEBB and HENRY GEORGE GRANVILLE BLAKEMORE, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements Relating to Metallic Sheeting and Looking Bars (for which we have filed application No. 8,626 in Great Britain on March 19, 1921), of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to metallic sheeting and locking clutch bars such as are employed for the erection of temporary or permanent subaqueous retaining walls metallic sheet piling for cofl'er dams or as members either alone or in conjunction with concrete or the like for bridges buildings and other structures.

In the following specification the nature of the invention will be described with reference to metallic sheet piling but itis to be I understood that the invention is applicable to metal sheets and locking clutch bars employed for constructional purposes generally. i

Amongst the several. objects we have in view areto provide an improved system of metallic sheeting and locking clutch bars whereby the several sheets may be interlocked one with the other which compared with the weight of metal employed shall be capableof resisting a considerable degree of lateral thrust from either side when the members are assembled and of resisting bending movements encountered in application to provide an interlock between the individual sheet members which while ensuring an approximately watertight joint shall permit of considerable flexibility at the joints so that a wall of piling for example of curved formation and of comparatively small radius may be constructed.

A further object is to provide an interlock between the sheet piling members which shall prevent jambing at the joints due to imperfect alignment so that subsequent drawing of the piles will be facilitated for it is to be observed that one of the chief advantages of metallic sheet piling is its adaptability to repeated usage by being pulled and redriven after the work to be done through its temporary application is finished.

WVith the aforesaid objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear or are incidental thereto our invention in its broadestaspect may be said tobe embodied 111 a metallic sheet of trough corrugated or substantial S shape section the longitudinal edges of which are provided with an approxlmately cylindrical and preferably tangentially disposed bead and independent lockmg bar or clutch member having two approximately cylindrical recesses adapted to receive the cylindrical beads of adjacent sheets in such a manner as to permit of limited rotation of one sheet relatively to another around a vertical axis passing through the oint and more considerable angular changes. by the possibility of threading the clutch members on the pile in the reverse direction to its normal direction.

According to the present invention the metallic sheet is trough or channel shape in cross section and is formed during the usual process of rolling with approximately cylindrical beads upon its longitudinal edges. The locking bar or clutch member whereby adjoining or juxtaposed sheets are connected together is approximately of inverted T section or somewhat similar to the well known form of flat bottom rail the lower horizontal larger limbs being'bent upwardly towards the shorter upper horizontal limbs in such a manner as to form two approximately cylindrical recesses the mouths of the recesses being smaller than the diameter of the cylindricalbeads on the edges of the sheetsrbut wider than the thickness of the metal sheet so that while the metal sheets when engaged with the clutch member will be securely in terlocked therewith yet the sheets will be permitted to adjust their alignment with that of the clutch member through a certain amount of angular displacement. The recesses in this locking bar or clutch member are formed in such a manner that the two centre-lines drawn through the two centres of the cylindrical recesses and passing through the mouths parallel to the edges of the trough shaped metal sheets threaded into the clutch member in the normal manner will meet when produced on the opposite side to the mouths at an angle forming a V.

A clutch member constructed in this manner has a comparatively small sectional area and when employed with trough section metal piles the bottoms of all the troughs occupy a position upon one side of the neutral axis of the assembled wall of piling while the joints between the piling members are situated upon the opposite side of the neutral axis so that the least moment of inertia through the neutral axis is increased.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred construction is illustrated by way of example.

In the construction illustrated a are metallic sheets which may be of trough or channel shape in cross section and are provided with beads Z) upon the longitudinal edges thereof. The beads Z) are of approximately cylindrical formation and are tangentially disposed and are preferably formed during the usual process of rolling.

To connect adjoining or juxtaposed sheets we employ a locking bar 0 of inverted T section the lower limbs cl being bent upwards towards the upper horizontal limbs whereby two substantially cylindrical recesses are formed. The mouths of the recesses are wider than the thickness of the metal sheets a but are smaller in diameter than the beads Z). By means of this construction the sheets when engaged in the locking bar will be securely interlocked and will also be capable of angular adjustment Metal sheets or piling members of trough corrugated or approximatelv S shape in section may be employed under this invention and considerable angular changes in direction of the wall of piling may be obtained bymeans of the combined flexibility of the joint and the feasibility of threading the clutch member on the pile in the reverse direction so that specially bent piles for corner work are dispensed with.

Referring to the drawing it will be seenv thatthe piles on the right hand side of the clutch member 0 are threaded on the clutch in the normal manner, whereas the pile on the let'thand side is-threaded in the reverse to normal. A considerable angular change of alignment results as may be seen by comparing the relative angular position of the pile on the left of 0 with that indicated by the broken lines on the right of c.

What we claim is 2- 1. Metallic sheeting and locking bars comprising a metallic sheet the longitudinal edges of which are provided with an approximately cylindrical bead one on each side of the sheet, and an independent looking bar having two similar approximately cylindrical recesses adapted to receive the cylindrical beads of adjacent sheets in such a manner asto permit of limited rotation of one sheet relatively to another around a vertical axis passing through the joint and more considerable angular changes by the possibility of threading the clutch members on the pile in the reverse direction to its normal direction.

2. Metallic sheeting and locking bars comprising a metallic sheet approximately cylindrical beads on the longitudinal edges of the sheet and tangentially disposed on opposite sides of the sheet, a clutch member and two similar approximately cylindrical recesses in said member adapted to receive the beads on the metallic sheet.

3. Metallic sheeting and locking bars comprising a metallic sheet an approximately cylindrical head on the longitudinal edges of the sheet tangentially disposed thereto on opposite sides of the sheet, and a clutch member of inverted T section the lower horizontal larger limbs of which are bent upwardly towards the shorter upper horizontal limbs to form two approximately cylindrical recesses.

l. Metallic sheeting and locking bars comprising a. metallic sheet the longitudinal edges of which are provided with an approximately cylindrical bead one on each side of the sheet and an independent locking bar having two similar approximately cylindrical recesses adapted to receive the cylindrical beads the mouths of the recesses being smaller 'then the diameter of the cylindrical beads but wider than the thickness of the metallic sheet so that the metal sheets when. engaged with the clutch member will be. securely interlocked in position and will be capable of angular displacement. 1

JOHN .RACKER WEBB.

HENRY GEORGE GRANVILLE BLAKEMORE. 

